Newly Released Michael Brown Footage Sparks Protests In Ferguson

The new footage from the day of the teen’s death raises new questions about the police’s version of events.

Never before seen surveillance video from the day that 18-year-old Michael Brown was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, was recently released sparking protests at the convenience store where it was filmed.

CNN reports that a group of people gathered outside the Ferguson Market and Liquor Store Sunday night after the new video became public.

The footage of Brown was included in a documentary called Stranger Fruit which debuted at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, on Saturday. It appears to show what the filmmaker Jason Pollock argues is an August 2014 drug transaction between Brown and the clerks.

What makes the video the source of ire for protesters is that after Brown’s death at the hands of Police Officer Darren Wilson, who was not charged in Brown’s death, police released surveillance footage from the Ferguson Market, allegedly showing Brown pushing one of the clerks—participating in what the police called a “strong-armed robbery”—and supposedly justifying the officer’s use of force against the unarmed teen.

Besides the fact that police had no knowledge of this video until after Wilson gunned Brown down, police chose not release this earlier video, which begs the question, Why?

Pollock suggests that Brown didn’t rob the store but was instead involved in a drug deal with the clerks. The film suggests Brown did not return later that day to rob the store but rather to get the bag back.

The St. Louis County Police told CNN regarding the video that they “cannot confirm its authenticity at this time.”

“If it did occur, the incident is still irrelevant to our investigation because our department investigated the encounter between Michael Brown and Darren Wilson,” St. Louis County Police told CNN.

It’s not known how many people were present at the protest outside the store Sunday night, or how many were arrested. The Ferguson PD has not responded to request for comment.

Attorney Jay Kanzler, who represents the Ferguson Market and Liquor store and its employees, told CNN that the version of events in the documentary is false and that it has been edited to leave out a part where the clerk throws the bag back to Brown.

“My clients did nothing wrong,” Kanzler said. “They love the people of Ferguson and truly want to get on with their lives.”

1. 2014: Michael Brown’s lifeless body was left in the streets of Ferguson for more than four hours after he was killed by Officer Darren Wilson on August 9.

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2. 2015: Tyrone Harris, 18, was shot in Ferguson Sunday night by police for allegedly attacking them with a firearm. He remains in critical condition and is facing four charges of first-degree assault on law enforcement, five counts of armed criminal action, and one count of discharging a firearm at a motor vehicle.

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3. 2015: Police stand to maintain the crowd after shots rang out on the anniversary of Mike Brown’s death.

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4. 2014: An unarmed protester was approached by police during protests in Ferguson. The image became one of the most memorable of the city’s uprising.

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5. 2015: A woman stands before police with her hands up in the air.

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6. 2014: After the shooting of Mike Brown and the death of Eric Garner, unrest continued to rise in Ferguson. After it was determined that Darren Wilson would not be indicted in the fatal shooting of the teen, protesters took to the streets.

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7. 2015: Since the death of Brown, over 100 men, women, and children of color have been killed by police. Worldwide protests have continued advocating for better training for police officers.

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8. 2014: A woman hit with pepper spray is doused with milk. Ferguson police issued curfews for protesters after incidents of arson and looting occurred during peaceful protests in the city.

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9. 2015: A year later, protesters say they too were hit with tear gas while protesting in the streets.

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10. 2014: The National Guard was called into Ferguson to “control” protests.

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11. 2015: A teen is caught in the crossfire during a shooting that took place in Ferguson on the anniversary of Mike Brown’s death.

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12. 2015: St. Louis police with army gear arrive in Ferguson Sunday night.

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Continue reading Photographic Proof Not Much Has Changed In Ferguson Since Michael Brown’s Death

Photographic Proof Not Much Has Changed In Ferguson Since Michael Brown’s Death